Tag: Jack Antonoff

While some artists lend a hand in resculpting the soundscape into something bold and completely reshaped, which often comes with rewarding and positive results, others fall short on trying to tamper with a song that either had already reached near-perfection, or took too much creative freedom and gave birth to something muddled with electronic sounds, such as is the case with Carly Rae Jepsen’s cover of ‘Shadow’.

While the replacement of solo instrumentation for ‘Bass Drops’ and Synthesizers is admittedly horrific, it does say something about the modern-day music industry and the way people listen to music. Where once, technical skill and creativity was something that people praised, now it’s left in the shadow of studio-manufactured sound that’s not created by a band with guitars and drums, but by a well-paid executive using algorithms and documented studies. This sound, created through equations and sung by people who are little more than familiar faces, dominates Pop radio. It’s something I affectionately call ‘Formula Pop’, a style of music that is neither an artistic expression nor necessity

The first four tracks are delivered with such massive force that could fairly nearly skyrocket Strange Desire to the ranks of a truly great album. One song after another is delivered with perfect accuracy, yet momentum is rapidly lost with tracks like “I’m Ready to Move On”, which is bizarre and unfitting. Still, Antonoff delivers a magnificent album that touches on real-life issues like relationships and depression. This album can’t be recommended enough, as its faults are more than made up for with qualities.